Overwatch 2 will offer Battle Pass, no loot boxes, a new hero every other season, and more

Overwatch 2 Launching on October 4th as a free live experience, the game will feature regular seasonal updates and a battle pass.

The Battle Pass will include new content, including new heroes, game modes, maps, cosmetics, and more.

Blizzard said that making Overwatch 2 free was a “natural step” for both the game and players.

“Free-to-play games remove barriers to entry, allowing anyone, anywhere to enter the game, team up with friends or find people to play with online,” Blizzard said.

“With the shift to free-to-play, we’ll add cross-play, allowing everyone to seamlessly play, progress and access their unlocked content across all gaming platforms.”

The game will be ditching loot boxes in favor of a live-service approach that allows you to get items directly through the Battle Pass and the “continuously updated” in-game store, with seasonal content every nine weeks.

Blizzard also provided a roadmap showing what to expect from Season 1, Season 2, and long-term goals. This includes a new hero every other season, as well as new maps and game modes between seasons.

Sojourn, Junker Queen, and an unannounced support hero are all set to join the new 5v5 PvP experience in Season 1. You can also look forward to redesigned heroes, new maps and modes, and a reimagined competitive experience. More details on the competitive overhaul will be shared at a later date.

Season 2 will introduce new tank heroes, maps and skins, and the story will continue when the PvE experience launches in 2023. It will also bring more new heroes, maps and game modes.

“We’ve always believed that Overwatch, at its core, should be a living game,” the studio said. “Overwatch stands for inclusivity, openness and community. These pillars lead us to change our strategy and introduce new heroes, maps and modes frequently because we believe this is best for our players and our game.

“We have incredible times ahead of us, and we can’t wait to share them with you.”

Starting June 28, you’ll be able to participate in the Overwatch 2 beta on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The characters Sojourn and Junker Queen will be included with the new push mode. The map will include destinations such as New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio.

If you’re looking to get a head start on your game, you might be interested in the Watchpoint Pack.

The pack provides access to exclusive content such as Legendary hero skins and Overwatch 2 player icons, as well as immediate access to the beta.

In the bundle, you’ll find the Season 1 Battle Pass, legendary hero skins Space Invaders Soldier 76 and Space Raider Cassidy, as well as 2,000 Overwatch 2 Coins that can be used to level up the Battle Pass or buy new cosmetics. It also includes an exclusive player icon, as well as Overwatch: Legendary Edition.

In addition to the above, Blizzard today provided an in-depth look at the upcoming hero, Queen Junker, with an animated short and an origin story trailer for the character. Be sure to give them a watch.

Upon release, Overwatch 2 will be available for PC, PS4, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.